Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cfl

Watt's up with this?

dbmcd — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 16:06:19 -0800

I bought a new lamp today and the sticker by the bulb receptacle says "40 Watts max", so I think fine... I'll just buy a CFL and get more light buy buying a 60 watt "replacement" bulb. I did that, got a 60 watt equivalent, which uses 15 watts according to it's packaging.
Then I notice the fine print on a tag on the lamp that says: "Requires one 40-watt maximum standard bulb or 11-watt maximum CFL bulb."
Will my 15-watt bulb really do any harm? Am I about to burn down my office?
I did search previous AskMe's, but couldn't find this particular answer (or anything close enough to help me feel more comfortable with this).
Thanks!

Flickering Lights

tvgraphicsguy — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 17:55:42 -0800

I had 4 compact fluorescent bulbs (candelabra base) in a ceiling fan that I recently installed and they would flicker terribly until I replaced one with an incandescent bulb and it stopped. The fan is not on a dimmer switch. Any ideas on what is causing this and does it need to be fixed? We have 5 other fans that are the same model and brand that were installed by an electrician over a year ago and work just fine with cfls. Do you think I need to check the wiring or just return the thing. I don't know if it matters, but the fan and light are on one switch and we use the pull chains to turn the light on and off. I read on the internet about switching one CFL out for a incandescent, which has stopped the flickering but the only explanation for the flickering was a possible dimmer switch (which we do not have). The CFLs are rated for ceiling fans.

How to deal with chemical warfare in my apartment building?

telegraph — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 14:28:15 -0800

Someone balanced a compact fluorescent lightbulb on my doorknob so that it would break inside my apartment when I opened the door. Can I do anything about this? Am I overreacting? I live in an apartment in a small building (9 units) in a major city. Sometime last night between 10 PM and 8 AM someone balanced a compact fluorescent lightbulb (CFL) on the doorknob of the external door of my apartment; the door opens inwards, so when I opened the door to leave this morning, the bulb was pulled into my unit and shattered (luckily not on my foot). Just so we're all on the same page here, note that CFLs contain a not insignificant amount of mercury, and require special disposal procedures.

I don't have any kind of relationship with the other tenants in the building so I really don't think this can be chalked up to "pranking" or anything like that. Also, there are no children or teens in the building -- as far as I can tell, at 21 I'm the youngest tenant. Normally I would say "wtf" and move on, but it upsets me greatly that now there's mercury in my apartment. I did my best to clean everything up (unfortunately in my haste I used both a broom and a vacuum, the two ways you are never supposed to clean up mercury, I learned later), but the fact remains that someone introduced a dangerous chemical into my home. Furthermore, since I can't see my doorknob from inside the apartment, there's nothing to stop whoever did this from doing it again.

What would you do in this situation? Should I tell my landlord or the property managers? Put a note on my door saying, I don't know, "dont put shit on my doorknob"? I don't even know. I'm completely flummoxed.

My air conditioner causes my room to have brown-outs. Can I fix this?

SuperNova — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 12:30:07 -0800

When my window-unit air conditioner revs its motor, my overhead light dims... then seriously brightens up when the AC slows down. It's annoying. Is there anything I can do? I just moved into an older (1950s-era, I think) house. My room is cooled by a window-unit AC, which has been running close to full blast all the time lately (it's hot as hell right now). Intermittently, the lights in my room will dim as I hear the AC crank up, only to blink back to full brightness when the AC slows down a few minutes later.

I've thought about replacing the incandescent bulbs with CFLs, which would at least reduce the power load, but since I know CFLs aren't supposed to be great at handling irregular voltage, I'm not sure that wouldn't make things worse. (I did read this potentially-relevant question, but I don't think it helps me in my situation.)

Right now, I think of this mainly as an annoyance... BUT, I'm also worried about other issues down the line. I have my laptop plugged into a power strip ("surge protector" of unknown efficacy) but a desk fan I just plugged into the same strip seemed to slow down when the AC cranked up, which makes me think my computer (and, when I hook it up, my year-old TV) is being subjected to the same kind of local brownout... and that can't be good, right?

Worth noting, perhaps, is that the AC looks pretty old, so maybe I could convince the landlord to replace it with a more efficient (?) modern unit. But the landlord had to be essentially forced into doing basic maintenance, so I don't see him doing anything about the AC unless it dies (and AC murder isn't an option since, again, it's hot).

What can I do?

Why do "specialty"-shaped compact fluorescent bulbs take longer to come to full brightness than CFL bulbs in the more standard helical shape?

Juffo-Wup — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:05:19 -0800

Why do "specialty"-shaped compact fluorescent bulbs take longer to come to full brightness than CFL bulbs in the more standard helical shape? Having recently moved into a new house, I bought two different kinds of n:vision 14 Watt compact fluorescent light bulbs. One kind starts out quite bright when turned on, but the other is quite dim when it turns on and takes 30-90 seconds to reach full brightness.

The bulbs that brighten quickly are the standard CFL bulbs that are in the shape of a helix. The specific bulb I'm referring to is this one.

The bulbs that take longer to get bright are these A19-shaped bulbs.

From examining them, it appears to me that the A19 shaped bulbs are simply the regular type of bulb with a plastic shell around them. But if this were the case, I don't see why the A19 bulbs would take longer to reach full brightness.

I bought four of each type of bulb and the same thing happens with all eight. I know that colder temperatures can make CFL bulbs take longer to brighten up, but none of these bulbs are in a warmer place than any of the others.

For what it's worth, I have also noticed that globe shaped CFL bulbs at others' houses seem to take longer to get bright than regular CFL bulbs although I don't know what brand/etc those were.

Any ideas?

Best CFL bulbs???????

boby — Sat, 20 Dec 2008 11:18:53 -0800

Which CFL bulbs are the longest lasting and cheapest to buy? I'm concerned about saving money on my electric bill but not worried about mercury content (if lights are broken). Are there any CFL bulb giveaways that are online?

CFLs giving off sparks and smoke?

jfwlucy — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 04:16:37 -0800

CFL bulbs -- cracking, smoking, sparking? This morning when I went to start a load of laundry, the CFL bulb in the overhead fixture wouldn't light. Then I heard cracking as if glass were breaking, and a little spray of fragments shot out and a stream of thick white smoke came pouring out as the bulb began to flicker to life. Quickly I turned it off and I'll remove it with a towel later.

Has anyone else had this happen or know anything about it? I have found the below references, which seem to indicate it is not uncommon, but not one indicates what the white smoke IS, or why glass was sprayed. Is this toxic mercury smoke? What the hell is it?

Also, did you know you aren't supposed to use CFLs anywhere you turn lights on & off frequently? Or that you are not supposed to put them in overhead recessed fixtures? That would have been nice to know SOME TIME AGO when I first started replacing bulbs around the house.

I've never had anything happen with this light socket before, BTW.

Any insight appreciated.

CFL discussion forum

Star Tribune fix-it column

The Green Guide

CFL mfg FAQ

Canadian in Miami for Grey Cup and Thanksgiving

bookley — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 09:47:35 -0800

Can anyone suggest a bar around Miami that will show the Grey Cup this Sunday? And what are some ways to experience S. Florida Thanksgiving? Bonus marks if there's such thing as a Grey Cup party on an NFL Sunday.
I'm a Stamps fan, but would happily suck it up and watch with Montrealers.

This is also my first Thanksgiving in America. Would be grateful for suggestions on how to make the most of your holiday while I'm in Miami.

Thanks!

CFL or LED?

drstein — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 11:25:55 -0800

Should we buy CFL or LED bulbs? We're in the process of replacing all of the bulbs in the house with more energy efficient lights and the concept of newer LED units has piqued our interest.

I have 5 can lights (using PAR bulbs) in the kitchen. One is on a separate switch, so I put a CFL in it but we've been less than thrilled with it so far. It's a Phillips bulb and literally takes 2 minutes to reach full brightness, which is annoying. The LED bulbs are bright instantly.

Have any of you folks purchased LED bulbs? Happy with the light output? Noticed any energy savings? There are many to choose from but since they're a bit more expensive, we want to make a decent choice. (The ones we've seen aren't as expensive as the one on ledwaves. Our local Wal-Mart actually has an entire aisle of CFL bulbs and LED bulbs.)

CFL - Cold, fugly luminescence

metajc — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:35:58 -0800

Are there some specific CFL models that will light just like my old soft incandescent light bulbs? I bought a bunch of CFL bulbs but my girlfriend won't let me turn them on because they look kind of heinous -- blue and pretty fluorescent like a university lab or the morgue.

I / we like that warm, yellow-white, incandescent glow of 40 and 60 watt GE bulbs. You know what I mean. Anybody had any luck finding a certain brand / wattage that mimics that particularly well?

Can a one-way CFL bulb be used in a three-way socket?

binary — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 17:38:02 -0800

Can I use a one-way CFL bulb in a three-way socket? I bought a lamp with a three-way socket that vaguely warns against using a one-way bulb. I quickly discovered that three-way CFL bulbs are incredibly expensive, so can a one-way CFL be used in it? Is this safe, and will the life of the bulb be affected?

A dim question.

eschatfische — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:46:15 -0800

Let's say there are two identical light fixtures, on two identical dimmer switches. One fixture has two 15W dimmer-compatible compact fluorescent lights, the other has two standard 60W incandescent bulbs. The dimmer switches are turned just beyond the "off" position to the "dimmest" position (identical on both dimmers). What will the difference in power utilization be between the two fixtures?

I want to turn you on!

Shebear — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 08:52:19 -0800

Why won't CFLs work in my fixture? I live in an old apartment in Brooklyn. Recently, one of my fixtures has gone funny: it will turn on if I put an incandescent bulb in it, but it won’t turn on if I put a compact fluorescent in it. It is an overhead light in a globe. Also, the incandescent generally burns out quickly, meaning I constantly have to replace the bulb. I’ve tested the CFLs and they work fine elsewhere in the house. What could cause this problem? Is it dangerous not to get it fixed?

CFL or similar for recessed lighting?

aladfar — Sat, 05 Jan 2008 15:29:52 -0800

What's the best CFL or similar for recessed lighting? A previous question didn't quite provide the direct recommendation I'm looking for. Basically, I'd like to replace the recessed flood lights throughout my apartment (there are 13 total) with something more energy efficient. But options like these come with warnings about poorly ventilated fixtures (the very definition of recessed lighting) and indoor use.

Further, they're quite expensive. I don't mind making the investment, but getting the cost down a bit would be helpful.

Sources for small dimmable Compact Fluorescents in Vancouver, BC?

pascal — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 20:16:37 -0800

I have been switching over to CFL bulbs, but have many lights on dimmers. Dimmable CFLs exist, and they exist in the sizes I need too, but I would like to find a supplier in Vancouver or at least within Canada, as paying customs charges on freaking light bulbs would be a real kick in the pants. Specifically, I am looking for bulbs like these models listed on the US site 1000Bulbs...

Small Dimmable Fluorescents
Decorative Torpedo Dimmable

These seem to be a bit too "cutting edge" to have made it to the regular places - Canadian Tire, Ikea, Rona - who otherwise seem to have most CFL needs covered. I'm not picky about manufacturers and models, just shapes and sizes.

Do Canadians care about the CFL?

xmutex — Mon, 28 Nov 2005 08:52:30 -0800

Do Canadians care about the CFL?

Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with cfl

Watt's up with this?

Flickering Lights

How to deal with chemical warfare in my apartment building?

My air conditioner causes my room to have brown-outs. Can I fix this?

Why do "specialty"-shaped compact fluorescent bulbs take longer to come to full brightness than CFL bulbs in the more standard helical shape?

Best CFL bulbs???????

CFLs giving off sparks and smoke?

Canadian in Miami for Grey Cup and Thanksgiving

CFL or LED?

CFL - Cold, fugly luminescence

Can a one-way CFL bulb be used in a three-way socket?

A dim question.

I want to turn you on!

CFL or similar for recessed lighting?

Sources for *small* dimmable Compact Fluorescents in Vancouver, BC?

Do Canadians care about the CFL?

Sources for small dimmable Compact Fluorescents in Vancouver, BC?